It was just another completely average day in Ponyville.
Tress galloped forward and then dove sliding under the garbage cart, her slide managed to get her far enough so she could crawl out from under it on the other side immediately. The manticore that was chasing her slammed into the back end of the cart getting itself stuck while splattering garbage everywhere. Tress stood up and looked at the hind end of the large bat winged, scorpion tailed lion hybrid sticking out of the mound of garbage.
“Tress we found the cub!” Twilight yelled as she and Fluttershy came running up to her, the shy mare had a tiny female manticore on her back that growled cutely. “What happened to the father?”
“I got him stuck in the garbage cart. He chased me all over town and what a nice little jaunt that was.” Tress pointed to the back end sticking out of the cart with her hoof. “Where did you find the cub anyway?”
“We found it mauling Chrysalis in the park.” Fluttershy motioned to a bandaged blue haired changeling with a hoof before glaring at the cub that mewled pitiably at her very mild anger and scolding tone. “It’s been a very naughty cub and it needs to go back to its family. Will you help me by washing off the manticore and taking it back to the forest Twilight?”
“Of course you did.” The bland statement showed how surprised Tress actually was to know it was found mauling Chrysalis. “Well Fluttershy, you and Twilight can take it from here. I’m calling it a day to go soak in a hot tub at the spa.”
“Ugh, I’ll join you after I’m done helping Fluttershy.” Twilight levitated the male and grimaced at the smell. She soon just splashed the large cat creature with water and telekinetically wiped off most the grime until it was sufficient enough for Fluttershy. She too decided to call it a day as soon as they released it back into the Ever Free Forest along with the cute, if dangerous, little cub.
After Fluttershy had helped her friends deal with the slight manticore incursion, she tried to think of something to do. She didn’t want to bother Tress after a harrowing experience of keeping the big creatures attention. She also didn’t want to trouble Twilight after having dealt with all they had gone through this morning. She also finished all her chores with all of her other animals and none of them were currently infirmed.
“Hey Fluttershy, I have a question.” Chrysalis watched as the shy mare squeaked and fell over onto her back flailing her legs in the air. “Huh… looks like one of our mating dances.”
“Oh … it’s you Chrysalis. Um, what did you want to ask?” Fluttershy was curious to know what Chrysalis wanted of her. The changeling usually didn’t seem too particularly interested in actually asking ponies for things.
“One of the things on Twilight’s list for us changeling’s has keeping a pet as a method for getting love. As you very well know that wouldn’t go over well for us.” Chrysalis thought it was obvious even to Fluttershy why that was a problem for changelings. “Do you know why animals hate my kind so much? Is it even feasible for a changeling to have a pet?”
“Why I’m sure there’s a cute critter out there that would be the perfect pet for you. Just nothing that has already hurt you or doesn’t like you at all.” Fluttershy was rather pensive to invite Chrysalis over to her house. She would probably need another pony around to keep an eye on her animals if she leaves Chrysalis in a room alone for too long by herself. “I don’t know why animals hate you so much, but there is something to their instincts that must make them really dislike you.”
“Gee you think? I certainly haven’t noticed with all the claw wounds; bite marks and bruises I’ve accrued.” Chrysalis had a right to be sarcastic, even rabbits attacked her violently and they were otherwise incredibly docile creatures normally.
“Sorry… ” Fluttershy cringed under Chrysalis’s not very threatening stare. “Anyway, Applejack was coming over to my house in a short while. If it’s alright with you… maybe we could stop by there instead so I can save her the trip.”
“That’s fine; just make sure to keep her dog, the sheep and the pigs away from me. The chickens haven’t done anything to me yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” Chrysalis thought sheep were friendly and would usually cower against things as scary looking as a wolf, changelings were plenty scary or at least they sometimes tried to be. Even then she was still perplexed by the bravery of the sheep that had trampled her.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry that animals don’t like you and are always out to get you Chrysalis. I promise to do the best that I can to find you a pet that will not be capable of harming you violently.” Fluttershy pulled Chrysalis into a hug and the changeling blushed, she knew it was most likely the feelings of acceptance and friendship that caused the blush. She even knew Chrysalis was eating her passionate feelings; it wasn’t like many other ponies were willing to feed an emotion eating creature.
“I would like to thank you very much for that if you can actually achieve such a lofty goal. I would also like to not to be constantly mauled or in traction.” Chrysalis liked ponies now, they proved that they weren’t racist bigots… not counting the nobles in Canterlot most of which were in fact bigoted. She’s spent way too much time around nobles, constantly sneaking into their weddings which were basically farces. There was no love in half of them and they were always arranged marriages no less, usually for political power or large amounts of currency which a changeling would have no interest in. She quickly learned to stay away from the words ‘arranged’ back then and nowadays she’d almost fully trust anyone Fluttershy and her friends did. Even now friendship was an odd concept to Chrysalis, any changeling was family even if they weren’t related by blood and though it being a similar concept to friendship it wasn’t exactly the same. If a changeling had a broken leg or had some kind of defect, no changeling would turn them away or put them down for being weak.
“Come on then Chrysalis, I want to catch Applejack before she leaves. Also stay in sight and near me, that way no animals will hurt you.” Fluttershy really felt bad about how animals treated Chrysalis and her kind in general, even the female manticore cub that left the Ever Free Forest to explore Ponyville attacked her without provocation. She would know as she was there at the start of a mauling she quickly put a stop to; Chrysalis hadn’t done anything wrong at the time and certainly had a right to be upset with her situation. Fluttershy thought that if they hadn’t become friends Chryaslis would be a much angrier changeling and would actively seek to make others as miserable as she is a lot of the time.
The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was uneventful for them and once they reached the farm something was going on with the farmer and a little pegasus she had hogtied with a rope. The pegasus was an orange coated filly with a lightly shaded purple almost pink mane and tail. The filly was struggling to free herself while Applejack tried to talk to her and she wasn’t yelling, but there was the displeased look on her face.
“Let me go, I didn’t do anything.” The filly tried to argue as Fluttershy and Chrysalis approached the scene and stopped just shy of being close enough to draw attention.
“That’s because I caught you red hoof in the attempt, now where are your parents? Why I have half a mind to spank you myself for trying to steal my family’s apples.” The little filly froze up at the mention of parents from Applejack.
“I really don’t like the feelings of despair and sorrow that the filly is giving off.” Chrysalis really disliked negative emotions and if anyone were to ask she’d deny them as ever having any sort of negative effects on a changeling. A changeling could personally use negative emotions without ill effect and they couldn’t use their own emotions against each other. However negative energy from another being would always make a changeling ill or sick if they tried to eat it. In some rare cases there were beings who could even force feed them those emotions specifically which will end in an inevitable manner.
“What exactly caused the despair and sorrow?” Fluttershy was already sending her heart out to the little pegasus and noted Chrysalis smiling at her feelings of compassion. Well at least her friend wouldn’t be going hungry today and she was okay with being fed off of if it was for a good cause.
“I think it was the word ‘parents’ that did it. I wonder why that is when she has so many ponies around to help her out.”Chryaslis of course thought ponies had a similar system of caring for the young no matter the blood relation, ponies had long since stopped herding together unless it was in times of need and that was usually by instinct. No changeling was ever an orphan and as such the concept of the filly being one did not generally exist to her. Chrysalis knew what orphanages were, but thought it was like what changelings did where it involves a massive form of daycare where every older changeling helped the younger generation. Even changelings with disabilities always had open jobs as caretakers or nurses.
“I might have an idea as to why that is.” Fluttershy felt a bit of sorrow run through her and Chrysalis flinched a bit at the sudden change in emotions. “Did Twilight happen to put adoptions on that list she gave you?”
“Yeah, but I have no idea what that exactly entails… why do you ask?” Chrysalis wondered why she was getting an odd look from Fluttershy. Adoption was a strange word to Chrysalis, despite knowing the definition she didn’t understand the complete scope of the word. All changelings could choose to help raise other changelings, should there be a shortage of caretakers they’d start searching for willing volunteers that aren’t too busy. Adoption to her meant showing favoritism and some changelings did favor some of the young more than others at times.
“No reason in particular.” Fluttershy thought ponies being raised by changelings would have been slightly creepy. Considering they’d be breeding their own food source or breeding with the food source and that last thought came off as much weirder to Fluttershy.
“Now stop you’re fussing already Scootaloo!” Applejack had drawn their attention back to the scene. Apparently she had learned the name of the filly while they were busy discussing things and Fluttershy decided to make her presence known.
“Is everything okay here Applejack?” Fluttershy offered up while moving forward to calm down the filly.
Chrysalis followed silently behind her while going up in a burst of green flames that turned her into a slightly different copy of Fluttershy with her friends hairstyle mixed with her own natural colors and a cutie mark of a chrysalis on her flanks. Not one of her better disguises, but it was the best she could come up with as she didn’t want to cause even more of a scene and this was mostly to the benefit of the filly. Applejack would see through the disguise easily enough and already knew of Chrysalis. Fluttershy looked back at her and she nodded while motioning with a hoof for the shy mare to go on. Applejack and Scootaloo had their attentions squarely on the both of them now.
“It sure is. I just caught this here varmint trying to steal some of my apples. The only thing she managed was getting caught in the tree sap; she scared the life out of me when I bucked her out of the tree. The tree didn’t like her trying to steal none too much either.” Applejack didn’t like ponies trying to pick her produce without prior notice of intent to do so, especially without paying for it first. “Now I’m trying to figure out where Scootaloo lives so I can talk to her parents.”
Chrysalis leaned away from Scootaloo slightly and her left eye twitched, there was that deep rooted pain and sorrow again.
“Like I’m going to tell you where I live, if you don’t know where I live then you won’t be able to rat me out to my parents.” Scootaloo certainly had some spunk in her despite looking dirty and hungry.
“Applejack, is the apple pie I ordered ready?” Fluttershy had gained a small bit of determination in her and she was willing to pay for some food to feed the filly. Scootaloo looked to be to prideful a pony, like Applejack was and it seemed that Fluttershy had a new job for Tress and Twilight. Fluttershy was going to ask them to look into Scootaloo’s life to see if she was living in an abusive home or if things were much worse than that. Pulling out a few bits from the saddle bag she was wearing, Fluttershy held them out to Applejack. “Also I would like pay for five apples please. I want you to give them to this nice young filly.”
“Sure is and sure thing sugar cube.” Applejack wondered why Scootaloo had an astonished look on her face as Fluttershy hoofed over some money. She knew Fluttershy was on to something judging by her body language and decided to abide by the shy mares ideas of how to handle the little sap covered apple thief.
“Now before we send the filly on her way with HER apples, how about we have some nice warm pie? Doesn’t that sound good to you, Scootaloo was it?” Fluttershy gave the filly a happy little smile and met her at eye level; she just knew Scootaloo needed some kindness in her life if the filly’s reactions were anything to go by. She was like a little Rainbow Dash, a veritable cute little tom colt.
“I seriously think you’re weird and I don’t need you to buy apples for me.” Scootaloo’s stomach grumbled loudly. “Then again I was stuck to that tree for quite a while and I haven’t really eaten anything since breakfast.”